Bell ready to Carry home first prize in Ascot International July 23, 2024 RACING returns to Ascot for another big weekend, headlined by the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (3.40pm), a race that usually serves up one of the spectacles of the Flat season. That was certainly the case last year, when Hukum and Westover fought out a pulsating duel up the home straight, with Hukum [...]
Play King’s Gambit to make the winning move at York July 23, 2024 THERE’s also high-quality Saturday action away from Ascot the Group Two York Stakes (3.15pm) from the Knavesmire. My eye is immediately drawn to Passenger at the top of the market. The Niarchos-owned colt ticks many of the rather clichéd boxes as a ‘classic, progressive Sir Michael Stoute-trained four-year-old’ and impressed on his seasonal return with [...]
EP: 284 Newbury & Market Rasen July 19, 2024 The Weatherbys Super Sprint over 5 furlongs for 2-year-olds is worth a quarter of a million pounds in prize money and it takes place at Newbury on Saturday afternoon, alongside the 6 furlong Group 3 Hackwood Stakes. The jumps meeting at Market Rasen also features on ITV where they run the annual Summer Plate Chase [...]
Rain won’t fall on Regional’s parade this time around July 16, 2024 RAIN has been the constant theme recently, with the unseasonably wet weather making ground conditions difficult to predict and things particularly tough from a betting perspective. Newbury was hit with 16mm of rain on Monday evening, turning the going soft, but the rest of the week is expected to be dry, so hopefully we can [...]
Hard to ignore Bowen’s superb Stats in Summer Plate July 16, 2024 WE’RE also blessed with Jumps action on Saturday in the shape of the Summer Plate and Hurdle at Market Rasen. The Hurdle looks like a devilishly difficult puzzle to solve, so let’s focus on the Plate (3.15pm). Mole Court is a progressive horse for Ben Pauling and currently heads the betting at around 5/1, reopposing [...]
Be Brave and back CP to halt Lui’s path to Glory July 12, 2024 EXPECT Francis Lui to be crowned champion trainer for the first time when Sha Tin hosts the final programme of the 2023/24 season in Hong Kong on Sunday. The 65-year-old may still be one winner behind rival Pierre Ng going into the final day, but it would come as a major disappointment to the stable [...]
Achiever Richards can end this season on the Up July 12, 2024 TRAINER Jamie Richards is capable of securing an end of season boost before the curtain comes down on the 2023/34 season after racing at Sha Tin on Sunday. It is fair to say the current campaign hasn’t gone according to plan for Richards and his stable, with a respectable 30 winners, but nevertheless down on [...]
EP: 283 Newmarket, York, Ascot & Hong Kong July 12, 2024 At the end of an extremely sombre week for British racing, Saturday provides us with what is billed as ‘Super Saturday’ with the July Cup the main attraction. Both York and Ascot also provide racing fans with top-class action on a day we all keep commentator John Hunt and his family close to our hearts. [...]
Awaal to come back with a bang in Bunbury Cup July 9, 2024 NEWMARKET’s July Cup (4.35pm) is the centrepiece of this weekend’s action and it should provide us with the rematch between Inisherin and Vandeek we were deprived of in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. Inisherin went on to win that race in good style in the absence of his main rival, who missed the Royal [...]
You should take no Liberties with Burke’s Lane at York July 9, 2024 THERE’S also a host of competitive action up at York headlined by the John Smith’s Cup (3.10pm). Sheikh Mohammed Obaid’s familiar yellow and black-silked string make up three towards the head of the betting, and the one that catches my eye is LIBERTY LANE. Karl Burke’s gelding started this season as a horse to follow [...]